Greenwich dermatologist, patient advocate against use of tanning beds

Published 2:38 am, Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Jane Campo was on her eighth visit to a tanning salon a couple of months ago when she noticed a freckle on her leg had begun to change color.

Then, the 48-year-old noticed an unfamiliar spot on her other leg. On June 12, Campo was diagnosed with melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

Though Campo's cancer was caught early and removed, the self-proclaimed former sun worshipper is now speaking out, along with her Greenwich dermatologist, against the use of tanning beds.

"Truthfully, I can't say that what I did was not something that was going to happen anyway by being in the sun," said Campo, who lives in Fairfield County and works as a nurse for a home care company. "But I do know that I can say my leg did change as I was using the tanning bed."

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In fact, the journal Lancet Oncology reported Tuesday that the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, has moved tanning beds, which emit ultraviolet radiation, up to the highest cancer-risk category, noting they are "carcinogenic to humans." The use of sunlamps and tanning beds was previously classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

Tanning beds typically use mostly UVA rays, rather than sunburn-causing UVB rays. But they're still harmful, says Dr. Julia Sabetta, a dermatologist with a practice on Dearfield Drive.

"Many consider UVA rays to be more damaging than sunlight because they're the deeper-penetrating rays," Sabetta said.

Sabetta would even argue tanning beds pose a greater danger.

"One cannot totally avoid the sun, but one can avoid tanning beds," Sabetta said. "Why take on extra risk?"

Young people especially should avoid tanning salons, said Sabetta, citing statistics that show young women between 20 and 29 who are regular tanning-bed users increase their risk of melanoma by 55 percent. This past spring, Sabetta donated posters to Greenwich High School and Greenwich Academy about the dangers of tanning.

A Connecticut law that went into effect in 2006 requires tanning salons to obtain written parental consent for children under 16. But Sabetta said the law is not widely followed, and Michael Long, director of environmental services for the Greenwich Department of Health, said the town doesn't inspect tanning salons.

"Basically, we don't regulate tanning facilities currently, but if it's in (the state statutes) and we have a complaint on it, we'd look into it."

Those in the tanning industry say doctors distort the risks.

"Being in an indoor tanning bed is the same thing as being in the sun -- there are risks and there are benefits," said John Overstreet, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Indoor Tanning Association.

Overstreet said tanning salons provide a "controlled environment" and supervision.

"I would argue you have neither of that if a young person lays out at the pool," Overstreet said.

The report in Lancet Oncology notes that the use of tanning beds before the age of 30 increases the risk of melanoma 75 percent.

"This new report confirms and extends the prior recommendation of the American Cancer Society that the use of tanning beds is dangerous to your health, and should be avoided," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said in a statement Tuesday. "Young women in particular are the heaviest users of tanning beds, and, as noted in the report, are at the greatest risk of causing harm to themselves."

Sabetta's patients will often sheepishly admit to visiting tanning salons.

Even Campo said her desire for golden skin almost won out. When she first noticed the changes on her legs, she would slather more sunscreen on the areas, or cover the spots with the stickers that the salons provide to allow people to add lighter-colored shapes to their bodies.

"In my opinion, there is a reason why they have you sign a consent form" before using a tanning bed, Campo said. "The 16-, 17-year-olds who have to get tan from the tanning beds before the prom, they don't understand (what might occur.) It's a life-changing diagnosis."